MindsEye Studio Build A Rocket Boy has announced further layoffs

Build Rocket Boy, the Scotland-based development studio behind last year's disastrous action-adventure game MindsEyeOnce again the company has announced more cuts. New post from MindsEye Studio CEO Mark Gerhard says Build A Rocket Boy has had a number of redundancies, calling it a “deeply painful decision” before claiming there is overwhelming evidence of organized espionage and corporate sabotage.

Led by former Rockstar Games president Leslie Benzies, fans were hoping MindsEye A possible contender for Iconic Grand Theft Auto series. Unfortunately, things didn't quite pan out that way. The studio's first title quickly received negative reviews from both players and critics MindsEye It also became the worst-reviewed game of 2025 according to Metacritic. While recent Steam reviews for the title are now “very positive”, likely due to the continued support of the rest of the staff at Build a Rocket Boy, MindsEye It was criticized at launch for its empty world, weak story, and persistent bugs and performance issues.

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After a disastrous launch, Build A Rocket Boy announced they were leaving the studio, which came a few days later. MindsEyeReleased for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Now, nearly a year later, the studio has posted a new one on LinkedIn, announcing even more redundancies. “Over the past few years, the game industry has been going through one of the most difficult periods in its history. Many talented developers around the world have been affected by layoffs and restructuring. Unfortunately, today we have to share that Build A Rocket Boy is not immune to those pressures,” said CEO Mark Gerhardt.

The statement says Build A Rocket Boy has announced further redundancies, admitting it was a “deeply painful decision”. Before Gerhard lays blame, he acknowledges the impact it has on those affected MindsEyeprojection to factors beyond the studio's control. The CEO says the studio has been working with external partners and legal counsel over the past few months to investigate apparent criminal activity that took place around the launch of its first title. According to Gerhard, these findings have now resulted in “overwhelming evidence implicating organized espionage and corporate sabotage. MindsEyeNo further details were provided, with the CEO saying the case is moving toward prosecution, so full details cannot be shared publicly.

In October 2025, nearly 100 current and former employees issued a joint letter criticizing MindsEye Studio. The open letter, which was published by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain, accused the studio of wrongdoing and claimed that Build a Rocket Boy subjected its employees to a mandatory four-month crunch, which required an additional eight hours of overtime per week for all developers. The letter did not threaten any legal action against Build A Rocket Boy, but made several demands, including a public apology for employee misconduct, fair compensation for those affected by the layoffs, meaningful efforts to improve working conditions, and more.

Despite the constant challenges thrown Build A Rocket Boy's way, those remaining at the studio seem committed to improvement. MindsEye With constant updates. Last month, the studio announced a “new phase of development” for the title after it parted ways with publisher IO Interactive. Update 7 was then launched on all supported platforms, introducing a brand refresh and another step forward in overall polish. According to the official patch notes for the update, it focused on smoothing campaign flow, making objectives easier to follow, and continuing to refine AI behavior. No word on whether today's layoffs will affect any further updates MindsEye.